Ruddock undeserving of role in human rights

Elizabeth Farrelly rightly compares the heartlessness of Philip Ruddock with Cardinal George Pell ("Ruddock, Pell cut from same cloth", February 11). In response to allegations of cover-up of child sexual abuse by clergy, churches have revised the ways in which they deal with complaints and take measures to reduce the risk of further child abuse.

On the other hand, governments have not lifted a finger to prevent child abuse in immigration detention centres, and even intend to return to peril children now in the community (an action akin to moving offending priests to new parishes with new vulnerable children).

Bravo, Elizabeth Farrelly. Once again you completely nailed it. How is it that we have become so complacent and self-satisfied that we can reward people in high office who have, to my mind, failed dismally in the performance of their duties.

In the case of Philip Ruddock even his own daughter went public (on the ABC's Australian Story) to denounce his treatment of asylum seekers and don't even get me started on George Pell. In any case, the Vatican is welcome to him.

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Jan Bohan Eastwood

Both Cardinal George Pell and Cardinal Bernard Law, the disgraced Boston archbishop, are linked to child-abuse scandals but have managed to find not only refuge and protection in the Vatican but lead comfortable lives with a degree of power. And now we find that Pell has managed to weasel out of a return to face the royal commission into child abuse to answer questions about the protection of priests accused of child abuse. Not the protection of children of course.

Where is that Kickstarter campaign to raise money to send a heart specialist over to the Vatican to accompany Pell on his return flight to Sydney?

Lesley Knapp Thirroul

It was said that American satirist Tom Lehrer put down his pen because he could not compete with the satire of Henry Kissinger being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Now that Philip Ruddock has been designated as special envoy on human rights how many Australian satirists will be calling it a day?

Andrew Smith Lane Cove

Elizabeth Farrelly is "amazed how much understanding" the state as represented by the royal commission has afforded Cardinal George Pell. I suggest it would be more appropriate to be impressed by how wise and clever the commissioners have been in avoiding any possible allegations of bias or coercion. It will not be possible for Pell to make any valid complaint of unfairness in any subsequent adverse judgments made by the commission.

Mark Porter New Lambton

Elizabeth Farrelly will, doubtless, receive a raft of plaudits from predictable sections for her scarifying attacks on Philip Ruddock and Cardinal George Pell. Ruddock continued the refugee policies introduced by Paul Keating, and was subjected to the criticism of an increasingly discredited UN Human Rights Commission, at which action hardly anybody turned a substantial hair. Apart from which, there are many other aspects to Ruddock's distinguished career. Moreover, if he is indeed the vile creature painted by Farrelly, what does this say for his constituents who have returned him to office for about 40 years? Perhaps it is Farrelly who is out of step, and like most out-of-steppers, believes she's the one of the few in accurate cadence count.

As for Pell, yes, he's remote, yes, he's bristly, yes, he's arrogant, but these are reasonably common traits of a religiously dedicated academic. He's not been convicted of any crime, and pulmonary problems frequently require its sufferers to refrain from plane travel. The fact that, not by his decision but on a court ruling, he'll be giving evidence by video rather than fronting a hostile gathering with its mind already determined, is scant reason to suggest a kind of guilt by pulling him to shreds.

Rosemary O'Brien Georges Hall

Congratulations, Elizabeth Farrelly. Your column should be made compulsory reading for every Australian. It could go a long way towards reducing the apathy of the population towards our tortured refugees and maybe, just maybe, help correct the current imbalance between "good" as in moral and "clever" as in politically self-serving.

Sadly, it seems to me that we have become a nation of puny hearts.

Donna Wiemann Balmain

Is the appointment of Philip Ruddock to a human rights position at the UN Malcolm Turnbull's equivalent of Tony Abbott's "knighthood-for-Prince-Philip" moment?

Rob Phillips North Epping

Premier Baird off-key on taxpayer spending goal

I'm really pleased if members of the NSW Waratahs rugby team were able to learn something about finely honed skills and precise teamwork while attending a concert performed by members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra ("Waratahs harmonise with their inner Beethoven", February 11).

I wonder if they also learnt that one of the pivotal training experiences that helps these musicians achieve such skill levels, the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards competition, is being axed through lack of funding. In light of this, I also wonder if they were gobsmacked to learn that NSW Premier Mike Baird is able to find a cool $1 billion of taxpayer money to build, what would appear to be, not desperately needed football stadiums.

When you consider that many of our current internationally recognised musicians cut their teeth on that competition, wouldn't it be nice to imagine that the Premier could divert just a few of those dollars to invest in that or a similar competition.

Malcolm Turnbull recently stated that there has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian. Really, Prime Minister?

Rod Hughes Epping

Closing gap doesn't need politics

The recognition that our Indigenous brothers and sisters are people to be loved and respected rather than a problem to be solved is a key aspect of Malcolm Turnbull's speech ("Turnbull's push for referendum in 2017", February 11).

This needs to be demonstrated in taking the time to listen and in showing a determination to walk with the first Australians for as long as it takes to empower them to overcome the combined disadvantage of dispossession, disconnection and distance. Closing the Gap requires a bipartisan commitment beyond the electoral cycle and above political point-scoring.

Philip Cooney Wentworth Falls

It is heartening to hear our Prime Minister warbling his support for the long overdue constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians. But then he qualifies his statement by warning that the amendment has to be achievable in "political terms". What does politics have to do with it?

Mark Paskal Clovelly

Time for a rethink

Despite millions, if not billions, of dollars being available to Close the Gap it seems little has been achieved. The gap really is an ever-widening chasm. Unless Indigenous communities can successfully "drive the changes", as suggested in Thursday's editorial, more millions will be wasted ("We cannot cut our way to Closing the Gap", February 11).

Undoubtedly there must be more stringent accountability but without these communities having competent, local and well-respected managers to drive successfully identified programs, throwing good money into poorly thought out and unsuccessful ventures is not the answer. It's time for a rethink and fresh approach from all concerned.

Mexico has begun this process to counteract its own snowballing and catastrophic health crisis and introduced a 10 per cent tax on sugary drinks. The results have been dramatic. Within 12 months consumption fell by 12 per cent with the highest fall of 17 per cent in poor communities, where this health crisis is at its worst. Not only did this non-medical strategy cost the country nothing but gave it a profit of $1.6 billion.

Patrick Bradley Wollongong

Heartbeat from power

The Coalition government's inherent gift that automatically presents the National Party leader with the deputy prime minister role shows what a farce this coalition scam really is ("Truss, Robb to announce retirement", February 11). With all due respect to Barnaby Joyce, the thought that if Malcolm Turnbull falls under a bus then Joyce will be running the circus leaves me flabbergasted.

Bob Harris Sawtell

Lockout laws fail to tackle poor culture

Both opponents and supporters of the alcohol licensing laws want to see an end to the apparent increased violence of recent years ("Lockout debate: doctors v drinkers", February 11). I doubt whether anyone would support the laws if there were other reasonable measures to address the violence. The thing is, no alternatives were offered or trialled.

Of course the laws work. They're harsh and blunt and effected by a well-resourced police force. But why is it that other places in the world can drink more than us and have much less restricted licensing laws and little or no police presence without the violence? In fact, only as far back as the 1980s and '90s, Sydney partied hard without today's level of violence; and without the beefed-up venue security, restrictive drinking laws and massive police presence of recent years. What happened? The causes of our violence problem have nothing to do with laws and policing. They lie somewhere else. Is any work being done to look in to this? Surely the violence can end and the vibrancy of Sydney's night-life can be reinstated.

Ian Waters Surry Hills

Alan Slade (Letters, February 11) implies that Mike Baird could lose the next NSW election because of the lockout laws. Baird might lose the election because of the substandard train service (and the awful timetable), flogging off heritage buildings, advocating a 15 per cent GST, and WestConnex, etc, etc. But because of the lockout laws? No way – it's just about the only thing he's got going for him.

Bruce Stafford Tascott

Recently, I saw an attractive young girl kissing her boyfriend goodbye, with the fond farewell, "I give you full permission to get blind drunk". Such is our culture.

Parents should pay

Nick Potter (Letters, February 11) complains that his son cannot use his Opal card to catch the light rail to school. While I don't know if this is his local school or not I'd like to know why taxpayers are expected to subsidise student travel across Sydney when parents enrol their children in out-of-area schools? If parents choose to exercise a right not to support their local school they shouldn't expect to claim free travel as well.

John Bailey Canterbury

It is all relative, whatever lies ahead

I read in your excellent science article that we would not notice an Einsteinian gravitational wave if it 'passed through your head' ("Gravitational waves discovery would open up new world of science", smh.com.au, February 11). Your report said of this bubble in the space time continuum that "it would stretch your head ever so slightly in one way while simultaneously squeezing it in the other".

I thought I should report that I have that experience quite often and it is rather pleasant.